Member-only story
You see a different city depending on what time you wake up and go to bed; perspective in time is equivalent to perspective in space. I’ve switched, not incidentally, from a job that requires me to rise early, to a job with irregular hours; thus, while I sometimes am awake at five in the morning, it is from the other side — the side of someone on their way to bed.
A critical detail from a long philosophical argument at a bar last night — being offended is not an intellectual position.
A critical question from a long philosophical argument at a bar last night — why do young, highly intelligent people think it’s alright to replace argument with affect? Why does being offended grant you the right of being right? It’s absurd, but increasingly common to think** this way. I find it infuriating.
The only way to fight easily offended undergraduates is with noble anger. Affect with affect. They actually don’t see it coming — because they’re so incredibly comfortable with their role as offended peoples. If someone wants to win a rational argument, they say you were insensitive and hurt their feelings. It’s so easy — no wonder it’s so popular.
The modern misunderstanding of power is thorough because we have completely forgotten Nietzsche’s historical reminder about the inversion of morality. The meek become the strong. In the faux world of social justice theory, even if you’re a wealthy white kid — as my interlocutors were — you can gain strength by taking on the emotional and psychological manner of a person in a position of social and economic weak-and-meekness.
Again: absurd.
But I enjoyed it.
